Ultimate Ears, manufacturers of the fantastic (and at $1,150, fantastically expensive) UE 11 custom-molded in-canal earphones, has been producing more affordable earphones for a few years now. Granted, for some earphone customers anything more than $20 is too much, but in the super.fi 4, the company is offering much of the driver technology found in its more expensive models for the comparatively low price of $130.

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Like its competitor Shure, which recently released the SE110 earphones, Ultimate Ears is focusing on making its newer models iPhone friendly. Not only does the super.fi 4 have a connector that fits the iPhone's recessed headphone jack, but for $20 more, you can opt for the super.fi 4vi, which has an in-line mic for phone calls. Shure's $120 SE110 pair comes with a removable cable that can be replaced with the company's $50 MPA music phone adapter, which has a mic, for iPhone use. Both pairs are tempting options for those looking to upgrade their sonic experience without spending a fortune. But which is better?

As far as design goes, the 0.5-ounce super.fi 4 couldn't look more nondescript. A thin, black cable with a narrow stereo connector, suited for iPhones (or any device with a 3.5mm headphone jack), connects to two barrel-shaped, aluminum earpieces with translucent silicon tips. My problem with these earphones is not the audio performance but the fit. I had trouble getting the earpieces to stay in my ears for prolonged periods of time: One or both would eventually fall out. You get an array of sizes of silicone ear tips, but none provided the tight fit of the foam tips that come with the SE110. The cable also seems a bit flimsy and looks as if it wouldn't survive well in the bottom of a fully loaded tote bag. Fortunately, the 'phones also come with a small, plastic snap-open casean accessory that every super.fi 4 owner should use.

If you can get a good fit, however, the super.fi 4 offers a terrific listening experience. When I tested these 'phones on the same songs against the SE110, I found that neither pair was particularly better than the other; they just make for different experiences. The two had a similar bass response, but the super.fi 4 seemed to produce crisper highs, particularly on percussion.

Looking at the
graphs from our HEAD Acoustics testing system
, we can compare the frequency response curves of both the Super.fi 4 and the SE110. The lack of brightness in the Shure pair is quite apparent when the two curves are looked at side by side: The SE110 undergoes a noticeable drop in volume starting at around 3.5 kHz. It has a more consistent bass presence in the lower frequencies, however, and a bit more presence from around 1 kHz through 4 kHz, where some sibilance (think "ess" and "ch" sounds in vocals) occurs. The
linear frequency response test
shows that the SE110 is pretty consistent from ear to ear, although the bass response and frequencies in the area around 10 kHz were boosted in the left earpiece. The super.fi 4's ear-to-ear response was similar: a spike around 12 kHz in the left ear, and a bass response that was a bit stronger in that ear as well. For sub-$150 earphones, the two pairs have respectably matched output in both ears.

One common problem that occurs in both pairs is microphonics, more often called "cable thump." Simply put, when the cable brushes your chest, or when you touch it with your hand or some other object, you hear a deep thump, which is nearly as loud as the music. That makes these earphones a less suitable choice for the gym, where you're likely to be running or moving around a lot, but I don't consider this to be an issue otherwise.

For users seeking more brightness from their earphones, the super.fi 4 is probably a better bet than the Shure SE110. That said, I prefer the SE110 because of its superior fit: Once you get the earpieces in, they stay in. The super.fi 4 may have a more even overall response, but the SE110 delivers high-quality audio in its own right, and it looks and feels more sturdily constructed. If you can achieve a comfortable fit with the super.fi 4 and you prefer a bit more high-end presence, the edge probably shifts toward Ultimate Ears. For those simply looking for a high-quality yet inexpensive set of earphones, I would happily recommend either pair.

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you instruct us otherwise. Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of the term unless you authorize
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